Wegener arc
Taken by Marcella Giuli Pace on May 2, 2015 @
Livinallongo Col di Lana (Bl) Italy
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Camera Used: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D7100
Exposure Time: 1/250
Aperture: f/22.0
ISO: 100
Date Taken: 2023:12:30 17:03:39
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Details:
In the remote mountain roads of the Italian Dolomites, specifically at Livinallongo Col di Lana (Bl), I had an extraordinary experience related to atmospheric optical phenomena. As I traversed the area, I was captivated by an unusual and pronounced halo formation in the sky. Immediately, I decided to park my car to get a closer look at this natural spectacle.
The scene before me was exceptional: at the solar point, a parhelion, halo, a circumscribed arc, and a circumzenithal arc were clearly visible. Although I had had the opportunity to observe such formations in the past, this time was a unique experience. I found myself witnessing the formation of a complete parhelic circle, characterized by the respective sundogs at 120°. The circle, white and almost incandescent, rotated around the sky, touching all cardinal points and even reaching the antihelion point. It was at this moment that I noticed a cross that further emphasized the antihelion point, identifying it as a rare Wegener's Arc.
Driven by curiosity and a passion for scientific documentation, I pulled out my photographic equipment (although I did not have the advanced tools of today at that time) and tried to capture every detail of this extraordinary phenomenon. My position in front of the local church attracted the attention of curious onlookers, but when I tried to explain to them the rarity of what I was observing, I encountered looks of disbelief and a gradual distancing, as if I were seen as a visionary.
This experience led me to reflect on the rarity of such phenomena, often elusive to untrained eyes. The frustration of not being understood by those around me was tempered by the awareness of having documented the moment through a photographic shot. Despite attempting to replicate the experience over the years, armed with new equipment, the Wegener's Arc has not revealed itself again, transforming it into one of the most precious spectacles that the sky has gifted me until today.
Camera: Nikon D7100; 18mm; 1/250; f22; ISO 100; two shot for panoramic.
Photographer's website:
https://greenflash.photo/portfolio/upper-tangent-arc-parhelic-circle/
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